What do you do if you work with a back-up doula?

[moncton doula]

So I was wondering what kind of arrangements you guys do with your back-up?
My back-up and I do as follows...if a client chooses to have a back-up I charge them a $50 on call fee which I pay to my back-up. This covers the few weeks of on call and makes sure that we stay "close by". We go to a pre-natal appointment together so the back-up can get to know the clients wishes, we give each other a birth plan copy as well as keep each other up to date on any pertinant information.
If the back-up attends the birth itself she would be entitled to the final payment(in our case $150)and we would both go to the postpartum visit.
This is working well for us. The $50 is nice to get...and incentive to continue doing so!!!
She charges more if it's a primipara because of the likely longer labor and more prenatal time, I am considering this as well.
She does several prenatals...where I do 2 and if they want more we will work out a fee.(I charge less than her but she's been certified and has way more experience).
We both refer to each other if we think one another would be a better "fit" or if we're allready booked.(She also does aromatherapy & reikki and is much more "crunchy" than me).
Our buisiness's are separate but it's SOOOOO nice to have someone out there that is in your corner, ya know?We're even getting a booth together at an expo this spring.

So, anyone else out there work fairly close with someone else?

[Stacie]

My best friend is my back-up doula. We have an agreement where no money is put out ahead of time. If a client decides to hire one of us as a doula, we take a $150 deposit. If the client wants to meet the back-up, we arrange that at a prenatal. If the back-up ends up at the birth, she gets the remainder of the money ($350) with no question at all -- if she was at the birth, she gets the rest of the fee. I guess we would both attend the postpartum visit.

We have never needed this before, but it is in place just in case . So you are totally not confused, we charge $500 total, with a 150 deposit, remainder due after birth. Since we are both on the same page with what we charge, it doesn't mess anything up (like it would if she charged $650 and I charged $500, kwim?).

[DL]

What I do is charge 1/2 of the total fee at the signing of the contract (I consider this as paying for Retainer & Prenatals). The remainder 1/2 of the total fee is due by 2 weeks after the baby's birth, usually at the Pp visit (which pays for Labor Support and Postpartum visit). If I have an agreeable backup doula in time for prenatals, then she may attend a prenatal with me if the client wishes. If a backup attends the birth, then I will pay her the second half as soon as I receive payment (since she provided the Labor Support & will do the Postpartum visit...although I have the option of also attending the Pp visit with her). Of course, the backup doula would need to be in agreement with the set fee in advance. If neither I, nor a backup doula attends the birth for reasons that are the doula's fault, then I will not charge the second half of the fee (for Labor support & Postpartum visit). My total fee differs depending on whether they are paying my full, Flat Fee...or if they are on the Sliding Fee Scale for those income eligible; that's why I didn't list specific amounts in this explanation.

I hope that made some sense!

[DL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moncton doula So I was wondering what kind of arrangements you guys do with your back-up? My back-up and I do as follows...if a client chooses to have a back-up I charge them a $50 on call fee which I pay to my back-up.

So, what if your clients do not choose to pay the $50 for a back-up? If you cannot attend the birth, do they go without a doula but still pay you your full fee? Just curious as to how this works.

[~Tranquility~Doula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacie My best friend is my back-up doula. We have an agreement where no money is put out ahead of time. If a client decides to hire one of us as a doula, we take a $150 deposit. If the client wants to meet the back-up, we arrange that at a prenatal. If the back-up ends up at the birth, she gets the remainder of the money ($350) with no question at all -- if she was at the birth, she gets the rest of the fee. I guess we would both attend the postpartum visit. We have never needed this before, but it is in place just in case . So you are totally not confused, we charge $500 total, with a 150 deposit, remainder due after birth. Since we are both on the same page with what we charge, it doesn't mess anything up (like it would if she charged $650 and I charged $500, kwim?).

This is exactly the arrangement I have with my current back up doula.

I'm so sad though because she's just decided to take some time off and not doula for like 6 years. She was at a very long birth last week (3 days!) and she realized how difficult it was on her son (he's only a year old). They had some trouble with a babysitter because they no really reliable family around. I'll have to find another backup and I'm pretty sure everyone around here charges more than I do. I'm now wondering if I need to increase my fee because of this.

[tlcdoula]

Right now I do not have a back up doula because mine is on maternity leave, but the arrangement her and I had was that half the money would be paid at the contract signing and then the second half is due by 38 weeks. If I were to call her in and she did the birth then I would pay her the second half of the money. I only had to do this once, but it was nice to have someone to call to come to my rescue

[moncton doula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doula_Lori So, what if your clients do not choose to pay the $50 for a back-up? If you cannot attend the birth, do they go without a doula but still pay you your full fee? Just curious as to how this works.

We have both had clients that do not want a back-up doula...in fact even when we weren't charging a "back-up fee" clients sometimes wouldn't consider a back-up, for whatever reason. We also both found it a bit of a strain constantly being on call for one another as well as for our own clients and figured this was a way to add incentive to be the back up. It's a big commitment to be on call...I'm sure you all know this....and not always fun to stay home from canoe trips, 4 wheeling adventures etc. for the "chance" that the other doula could not make it to her clients birth. So this fee we give each other keeps us motivated...we have been paid to stay home and not have that second glass of wine. It also keeps my hubby from harping on me...he sees that I'm being paid for my efforts to "keep close to home".

If they do not choose a back-up and I could not attend the birth through fault of my own they would get a refund of the final payment.

[tlcdoula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moncton doula We have both had clients that do not want a back-up doula...in fact even when we weren't charging a "back-up fee" clients sometimes wouldn't consider a back-up, for whatever reason. We also both found it a bit of a strain constantly being on call for one another as well as for our own clients and figured this was a way to add incentive to be the back up. It's a big commitment to be on call...I'm sure you all know this....and not always fun to stay home from canoe trips, 4 wheeling adventures etc. for the "chance" that the other doula could not make it to her clients birth. So this fee we give each other keeps us motivated...we have been paid to stay home and not have that second glass of wine. It also keeps my hubby from harping on me...he sees that I'm being paid for my efforts to "keep close to home". If they do not choose a back-up and I could not attend the birth through fault of my own they would get a refund of the final payment.

I guess I am lucky because my back up is a very, very good friend of mine so we both know what each other is up to - meaning if something comes up and I wouldn't be able to attend a birth for whatever reason (illness, etc) my back up knows about it and then just knows she would be on call for me. Like I said - this has only happened to me once and it was when a client went into labor early and I had a doula training scheduled. I ended up going to her and spent all night with her, my back up came in the morning, I went and did the training (yes on zero sleep), and then as soon as the training was over I went back to the hospital to be with the mother and didn't end up coming home until about 10 p.m.

So I guess my point to this message (LOL - I know you are probably thinking "getting to the darn point") is that my back up and I do not change our schedules, rearrange our lives, etc very often because we know each other well (talk several times a week) and so we know when the other is going to need help or might need help.

I have also been very lucky because I have never had a family say they do not want my back up. I make it very clear to them that my back up would only come in extreme circumstances and I have never had anyone say "no thank you" so I am lucky

[gemasita]

Can I ask a question? Are your back-up doulas similar to you in personality? As a doula trainee, I was having a hard time finding back-up because doulas that charged didn't want to be my back-up and have to do a birth for free (now I am charging so this doesn't matter so much). I have met a lot of doulas in the area and we are all so different. People who were my back-ups for some births were *wonderful* but very different in personality. It just feels like choosing a doula is very personal and then when I introduce this other person into to mix (or if I am someone else's back-up), it can seem weird.

Also, it sounds like a lot of you have one back-up. I am always having to look for someone for EACH birth. Do any of you have to look hard for a back-up for your births?

[moncton doula]

[quote=gemasita]Can I ask a question? Are your back-up doulas similar to you in personality?[quote]

-We have similar philosiphies regarding birth and support, are good friends, but are two very different people. She is familiar in areas that I know little to nothing about...chakras, energy, crystals etc...so yes it seems we each have our target clients, and sometimes when I'm at an interview I think...this couple would be perfect fit with Lidia...but we both have the same fundamental values about labor support...so it works.


Do we have to look for a back-up for each birth?

-no, we are each other's constant back-up...but there may come a day that one or the other of us is not available for the timeframe...for instance-she goes away this September for about a week to a midwife's assistant course at "the farm" (i'm soooo jelouse) so if I have a cleint who wants a back-up then, I'll have to ask around, but there are other doulas around that I can ask.

[dorothyh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moncton doula So I was wondering what kind of arrangements you guys do with your back-up? So, anyone else out there work fairly close with someone else?

I work with two other doulas, and we are very similar as far as training, philosophy of birth, education of clients, etc. About 2 years ago, we decided to work together as one doula group, although we do all have our own separate clients. One of the "perks" of hiring our group is that you have guaranteed backup - if your primary doula is not available you know you are getting a doula similar in philosophy to your primary doula. We only take 1-2 clients a month each so we do not do a lot of births. If the backup needs to cover during the 2 week window before or after the mom's due date (if the primary doula is out of town, for example, during that time) the backup does receive some compensation for being on call, and receives a set amount if she does the birth.

So far in the two years, our group has only had two births where the primary was not available and the backup doula did the birth. It is peace of mind for all of us though, knowing that if we come down with the flu, or are just coming off a long birth,etc. that someone can cover for us who is like-minded. Also our clients seem to appreciate that they KNOW they will get a doula, even if their primary doula is not that we have guaranteed back-up as well.

I know for me it would be a lot more stressful if I didn't have back-up, and I don't mind at all backing up my two partners.

Dorothy Haines, CD(DONA)
www.MotherToMotherDoulas.com